The Nature of Seat Belt Injuries

A study was made of the histories of accidents in which the victims were injured by safety belts. The three types of safety belts-lap, two-point, and three-point-each produced a characteristic injury pattern. Without restraining systems, more of the accidents would have resulted in fatalities, but the safety belt injuries were often extremely severe. Statistics are given of the number and type of injury for each form of safety belt, and the conclusion is drawn that a combination of shoulder and lap belt is the most effective in preventing injury and mortality.